


Go Fish

by redmacallan



Category: Whose Line Is It Anyway? RPF
Genre: Library AU, M/M, only rated T because greg swears like twice, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 07:02:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6601381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redmacallan/pseuds/redmacallan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There wasn't a "Ryan goes back to high school and Colin is a librarian" fic.<br/>I wrote that fic.</p>
<p>(Also has very little to do with fish, sadly.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Go Fish

A year and a half into his job, at three o’clock in the afternoon, he looks down and realises he never wants to see a fish again.

The fish he’s holding looks at him with its beady little eyes. Ryan shrugs, puts it down, and goes to talk to his dad, who looks at him about as sympathetically as the fish did.

“You want to go back? To study?”

It takes a few weeks, but eventually his dad realises that Ryan does in fact want to go back. To study, incidentally. He’s on his own - relatively, anyway, since he’s living out of the tiny house his parents still technically own but never go in, and neither parent wants to face enrolling him when he’s two years older than everyone else.

The principal looks at him even less sympathetically than the fish.

He gets in somehow, though, and he walks in on what is hopefully his last first day at school.

He walks in through the gates on his first day - early, for once - and shows up at his class before it even begins. An old teacher of his- he doesn’t remember her name, but he does remember the homework- nods at him from behind her desk, and he takes his seat silently.

By lunch, he decides that everything is small.

Not just the students, in comparison to him - he’s used to that, and he knows they were all going to be younger - but the chairs, the desks, the corridors-

He flicks endlessly through a book in the school’s library and sighs. The top shelf’s at eye level. Even that’s too small.

So, after taking as many notes as possible and realising that the school’s library is pointless, he heads out as early as possible once the bell goes to the other library.

It’s a grey, unassuming building, squashed in as the end of the street like an afterthought of the architects who designed it. He’s been in before, technically, but he was about four and more interested in pop-up books that actually reading.

The doors slide open, and he steps in.

It’s quiet. Despite it being after school, there aren’t many students - or even many people - around, which Ryan puts down to it still being early in the year. He’s probably the only one worried about studying right now.

He thinks about the fish’s glare again and shudders. _Ugh._

Time to find what he came for.

There don’t seem to be any signs to different books, so he looks around for someone to ask. A bearded man in a scruffy jacket sits in on a corner and stuffs chips into his mouth (probably not him, Ryan thinks), a few elderly ladies sit around a table, talking so quietly it looks like a mime, and a man maybe a few years older than him standing precariously on a ladder stacks a shelf of books.

_That’s the one_ , thinks Ryan as heads over.

He clears his throat. “Excuse me?”

The man turns around, surprised but not scared, and smiles. “Oh, hi. What can I help you with?”

Ryan looks up at him. It’s rare he has to do that. “Well, I’m looking for some textbooks, but I don’t know where anything is.”

The man chuckles and makes his way down the ladder. “Just your luck. It’s the opposite end of the building, top floor. I’ll take you there.”

“I don’t want-”

The man laughs again. “Really, it’s no trouble. Gives me an excuse to take a different route around this place.” They make their way towards the stairs, and Ryan notices they’re walking at almost exactly the same pace. The man turns to him. “So are you from the school? You seem a little old to be a high schooler.”

Ryan shrugs and looks at his feet. “I dropped out, so I’m retaking a year.”

The man laughs. “Didn’t want to get stuck with all the kids while you revised? Tell me about it.”

Ryan looks over hopefully. “You repeated a year too?”

“No,” the guy says. “I did have to take library management with a load of middle-aged women though, so I get the whole ‘everyone-else-is-the-wrong-age’ thing.” He lifts out a hand for Ryan to shake. “I’m Colin, by the way. I do most of the looking after of this place. Sunday to Friday. Saturday’s my day off.”

Ryan laughs. “Good to know.”

They’re at the top of the stairs now, heading over to the corner of the top floor, past another man on a computer.

“So what are you studying?” Colin asks.

“Nothing really special,” Ryan says. “I’m taking extra science and English so I don’t have to take a foreign language, but that’s all.”.

“Not a fan of languages, eh?” Colin says. “Well, at least you’re not in Canada, I suppose. It’s compulsory there.”

They’ve reached the shelf of textbooks. It’s low down, but there’s a window above it with late summer sunshine coming through.

Colin walks towards it. “There you go. We don’t have many, but it should be enough to get you started.”

Ryan smiles.  “Thanks. Sorry again for the walk.”

“I enjoyed it, actually,” Colin says, grinning. “Come see me when you’ve chosen some books, and I’ll set you up with a card.”

“Okay,” Ryan replies, turning to look at the books.

He spends a good half hour there, flicking through each book, dismissing the out of date ones, and putting the good ones in a pile, and he takes the five or so books downstairs after he’s done.

Colin’s talking to an elderly man at the desk, an exasperated smile on his face.

The old man grumbles, and Ryan can only make out about half the words.

“You can… saved… only believe…”

Colin sighs and hands the man his book. “Al, you tell me this every day, and every day I tell you the same thing.”

The man - Al, apparently - grumbles something again.

Colin points out to his head. “Hair follicles are a lot easier to change than souls and minds, alright? Have a nice evening.”

The man shuffles out of the library, and Ryan walks to the desk. Colin smiles and looks at Ryan’s pile of books. “Did you find them alright?”

Ryan nods. “Yeah. Was he,” he points a thumb in the direction of where Al went, “bothering you?”

Colin laughs again. Ryan knows logically he should be sick of it, but he isn’t. “He means well, really. I’m used to it, anyway.” He walks over to a cabinet behind the desk. “Now, how about we get that card of yours set up?” He slides a piece of paper and a pen towards Ryan from across the desk. “Take a seat. It pretty much explains itself.”

Ryan nods, and starts to fill out the form. He finishes it quickly, and hands it back to Colin, who looks over it.

“Ryan, eh?” He grins at Ryan. “Nice name.”

Ryan hands him the pen. “Thanks, I guess. Anything else I need to do?”

“Nope.” Colin hands him a small card with his name written on it. “Here you go. Your books are already on there, so you can head out.”

“Thanks,” says Ryan, picking up his books. “I’ll see you around?”

Colin snorts. “If you show up here, it’ll be difficult to avoid me. Have a good evening!”

He gets back late, fixes a quick meal, and collapses into bed. He’s not looking forward to school any more than he was the night before. After school, though…

Well, that’s a different situation altogether.

He makes it through another day of too-small school, and he walks as fast as he can to the library afterwards, greeting Colin with a wave at the door before taking a seat by a window to do some English work.

It was his worst subject last time, and he’s not letting that happen again.

An hour or so passes before he sees Colin again. He’s got a basket of books in one hand and a grin on his face as he walks up to a shelf next to Ryan.

“How’s work going?”

Ryan shrugs. “It’s alright.”

Colin puts down the basket and takes a few of the books from it, sliding them into place. He takes another one and tries to put it on the highest shelf, stretching on tiptoe and then scowling when he doesn’t get it.

Ryan stands up. “You want a hand?”

Colin smiles gratefully and hands him the book. “Thanks. It’s just up there, between the pink one and the green one.”

Ryan reaches it pretty easily and turns back to Colin. “Are there any more for the top shelf?”

Colin looks through the basket. “Don’t think so. Thanks though.”

“No problem,” says Ryan, sitting back at his chair.

“You know,” says Colin, “if you’re going to be spending a lot of time around here anyway, we can always use some extra help. Doesn’t pay much, but it’s not too bad.” He smirks. “And hey, you seem to be pretty good at it already.”

Ryan looks up, but Colin’s already walking away. “I’ll think about it,” he replies.

He thinks about it over the course of the next week. Every weekday he goes in, finds a seat, studies for a while, talks to Colin, studies a little less enthusiastically, and then goes home.

The library feels more like home than his actual home does, by this point.

Colin shows up on Thursday with a sandwich. He pulls up a chair and sits down next to Ryan.

He frowns. “When do you eat?”

Ryan looks up at him. “What?”

Colin takes another bite of his sandwich. “You’re in here every day until, what, eight? I guess you could eat after, but it seems kind of late.”

Ryan shrugs. “I just eat afterwards, I guess. I don’t have a big dinner.”

Colin frowns, says “Okay,” and walks away.

On Friday, Colin brings in another sandwich and a flask of what tastes like fresh juice, and he puts it down on Ryan’s desk.

“Can’t have you dying of malnutrition in here,” he says. “Though if you got scurvy then I suppose you could dress as a pirate and sit in the kids’ area.”

Ryan spends the weekend at home, talking to his parents about school over lunch. His mom’s pleased, though his dad says nothing. He cleans the flask - Colin had insisted on him taking it home, but he still wants to give it back- and by Sunday evening he’s made up his mind.

Monday goes by. He walks up to the desk in the library this time without putting down his bag.

“Hi,” he says. “Is that job offer still open?”

Colin grins and slides him a form. “When do you want to start?”

He hands the flask back on Monday, and gets it back on Tuesday, along with his first day of work. It’s not much different, really - he still comes in and studies for a while, only now after Colin’s conversation with him, he closes his books and goes around the library sorting the shelves.

Colin still brings him dinner. Sandwiches for a few days until the next Friday when he brings in two salads, and a bottle of strawberry juice.

They sit in a corner of the library halfway through Ryan’s shift and munch on them. There’s no one there but them and the books anyway, and they’ll hear if someone comes in.

Ryan opens the lid on his - they’re labelled, which is weird - and there’s a number scrawled on the back of the lid.

He shows it to Colin. “There’s someone’s number in here.”

Colin stops halfway through a mouthful of salad to look at it properly. “That’s my number.”

Ryan laughs nervously. “What?”

“Greg must’ve put it there when he was labelling them.” He scoffs. “Special sauce, my ass.”

Ryan starts eating anyway. “Who’s Greg?”

“He owns the hipstery food store down the road. Great food, and great company when he’s not trying to set me up with someone.”  At Ryan’s quirked eyebrow he turns apologetic. “Sorry. I’ll take the number away and tell him off if it makes you feel awkward.”

Ryan shakes his head. “No, it’s OK. So you’re uh…”

“Gay?” Colin grins. “Yup. People tend to be surprised. Shouty Al only knows cause I came in one day in tears after a breakup. Are you…” He looks up at Ryan, searching for approval. “Are you okay with that?”

Ryan has to think for a second. Half his mind is just his father shouting expletives, but the other half is both flattered Colin would tell him and really wants to take his number.

He lets that half win out.

“Yeah,” he says, not really knowing what else to add.

Colin smiles in the way where it matches his eyes, and Ryan thinks that maybe he didn’t need to say anything else.

They both throw their pots away afterwards. Ryan never does get Colin’s number that evening.

He spends the weekend doubting everything he’s ever thought about himself.

He likes girls. He’s had girlfriends in the past, and they broke up for various reasons that never included ‘I’m into guys.”

And yet, when given the chance to ask out Colin…

He tells himself everything. He says it was just a spur of the moment. He says he just got caught up in everything. He says it was just hormones rushing around and messing stuff up.

He tells himself the opposite. He thinks about how his dad would react. How his brothers would tease him. How he’d been even more of an outcast at school that he already is.

Eventually he just tells himself he doesn’t care, but that he does really want to ask out Colin.

And so that becomes his plan.

He spends the rest of the semester trying - and failing - to work up the courage. They still talk, and they still work, and eventually autumn gives way into winter.

It always rains before it snows.

And rain it does, that winter. For so long, in fact, that when Ryan comes to the library on Monday to find it closed and locked, with a note on the door.

“Closed due to flooding,” it reads. “We apologize for any inconvenience.”

And then on a post-it note underneath:

“Ryan, just knock on the door at the back. I’ll let you in. :)”

Ryan, still hiding underneath his raincoat, goes to the door and knocks. It takes a minute or so, but Colin comes to answer.

“Hi,” he says breathlessly. His clothes look slightly askew, as if he’s been running around all day, and there’s a kind smile on his face.

“What happened?” asks Ryan, stepping into the building.

“Rain,” replies Colin. “The plumbing’s really old, and the roof needs repairing, and after three days... “ He shakes his head. “Well, it’s not pretty.”

“How can I help?” asks Ryan.

“Hm?” Colin looks over at him, surprised. “You can still study, you know. Your shift doesn’t start until an hour or so.”

Ryan takes off his hood. “I can miss a day of studying. Anyway, I feel like a wet desk might not be the best place to revise.”

Colin smiles gratefully. “Thanks so much. There’s a store room over there,” he says nodding in the direction of a door, “and it won’t get wet since it’s insulated differently. Just get as many books as you can in there for now.”

Ryan nods, and they both get to work.

By the time the sun’s set, the library feels strangely surreal. Around half the shelves are empty, the couches and chairs have all been piled up in one corner that’s miraculously dry, and there are buckets and plastic boxes everywhere, trying to pick up the drips.

They’re interrupted by someone else knocking on the door.

“Who is it?” Colin calls.

“You know exactly who it is.” says the person behind the door.

Colin clambers off the box he was standing on and rushes over to the door. “Well, I do now.” He opens the door. “Why are you here, Greg?”

Greg laughs, holding up a bag of food. “What else do I show up for, Col?” He walks over to the counter. “I brought soup so you two can take a break.”

Colin takes a long breath. “Mmmm, smells good.” He turns over to where Ryan’s standing, about halfway across the room. “Hey, Ry, there’s food.”

Ryan walks over as Greg gets out three bowls, a huge flask, and a loaf of bread. Greg looks up from the food to grin at him.

“So, you’re Ryan, huh?” He offers out his hand. “I’m Greg. Nice to meet you, and I’d apologize for being flamboyant if I thought it warranted an apology.”

Ryan takes his hand and shakes it. “Nice to meet you too.”

They eat and talk - or rather, Greg talks, with the other two interjecting occasionally - and by the end of their meal, the other half of the library doesn’t look so daunting any more.

Colin comes in sneezing the next day, and Wednesday he calls in sick, leaving a note for Ryan to open the library for the few hours he’s supposed to work. It’s still quiet, but there are a few people and he still has stuff to do.

Greg shows up just after sunset with another sandwich and a book under his arm. “Can you take this book out for me?” he asks.

“Sure,” says Ryan. It’s an old hardback copy of The Cat in the Hat, and he asks why Greg wants it.

“It’s for Colin,’ he replies. “Seeing as he’s pulled a sickie, I figured he could use some cheering up.”

“With poetry?”

Greg snorts. “That’d be me you’re thinking of there. No, with books.” He takes it from Ryan and stuffs it in his bag. “He mentioned liking this one as a kid.”

Ryan smiles and sits back down at the desk. “Well, I hope he enjoys it.”

Greg looks at him with a look in his eye that’s equal parts amused and calculating. “Why haven’t you asked him out yet?”

“What?” Ryan tries to feign ignorance, but Greg shakes his head.

“Don’t play innocent with me, and don’t give me excuses, alright? Yes, he’s your coworker, yes, this your first time asking out a guy, and yes, you probably have some other deep-seated worry about the whole thing.”

Ryan sighs. “Do we really have to-”

“Yes,” says Greg. He leans on the desk so he’s closer to Ryan. “Now listen, Col’s ex was a complete asshole, and I should know, because I dated him too. And Col’s a sweet guy, y’know, sappy romantic thing along with the sweaters, but this guy... he didn’t give a shit, so eventually he just left. You, on the other hand,” he says, pointing a finger at Ryan, “give way too much of a shit to even start.”

Ryan lies his head on the desk. “This really isn’t the time to be talking about this.”

“Then don’t talk to me,” replies Greg. “Talk to him.”

And when Ryan next looks up, there’s a number on the desk, and Greg’s gone. Ryan thinks about calling the number, but decides against it.

He repeats that thought process about seven times over the rest of the evening.

He does end up calling Colin on Saturday, though he’s so nervous he wonders how he’s still coherent.

“Greg gave me your number, and he was pretty forceful about it, so I, uh, thought I’d see if you were feeling better.”

He can hear Colin smile through the phone. “I’m doing a lot better, thank you.” There’s a bit of static from Colin’s end - presumably as he shuffles around - before he speaks again. “Listen, Ry, I was wondering if you’d like to meet up sometimes. Out of work, I mean.”

“Oh,” says Ryan. “Sure, I’d-”

“I mean, you don’t have to,” replies Colin, his words coming out in a rush. “I know you’re busy with exams, and I’m already asking a lot with work on top of it, and you might just not want to-”

Ryan takes a deep breath. “I’d love to, Col. I’m fine next Saturday, if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, that’s good. What do you-”

“You can choose.”

“Okay,” says Colin sunnily. “I’ll think of something. See you on Monday?”

“Will do,” replies Ryan. “Feel better soon, alright?”

Colin laughs. “It’s a cold, not the plague. I’ll be fine.”

Neither one is sure who hangs up first, but both are sure that it could’ve gone a lot less awkwardly.

Still, they meet up on the Saturday, having made arrangements during the week, and they sit on the bus together, going to the next town over.

“So,” says Ryan, awkwardly, “where are we going?”

Colin looks away from the window and at Ryan. “There’s a book fair happening today outside this shop, so I thought we could stop there and then get something to eat.” He laughs nervously. “Actually it doesn’t sound as interesting when I say it out loud. We can do something else if-”

Ryan shakes his head. “No, it sounds good. It’ll be nice to do something relaxing.”

Colin does a little smile that makes his heart do something both unpleasant and nice. Ryan wonders if relaxing will be more difficult than he thought.

They get to the shop. It’s a fairly small affair, with different sellers set up behind tables of varying size up and down the street. They walk down together at first, Colin stopping to talk to one girl who’s a new author trying to get her work out there, but eventually Colin stops at a table filled with second hand comics and looks up at Ryan apologetically.

“Sorry, Ry. I’ll probably be here a while. You can go look at some of the other stuff if you don’t want to hear me talk about superheroes for the next half hour.”

Ryan laughs, says, “I don’t mind, but I’ll leave you to it,” and walks further on.

There’s a stall of second-hand children’s books, some more tattered than others, and he satisfies himself with looking through those. The pictures are nice, anyway.

And then, tucked behind a copy of a book so worn he can’t read the cover, is The Cat in the Hat.

It looks old - old enough for the cover to be slightly faded and for the font to look somewhat blurred and less crisp. He opens the front cover and it confirms his suspicions.

First Edition. 1957.

The price isn’t too bad- he can certainly afford it with what he’s made off the library and his previous work- and he knows Colin likes it.

The second part of that thought has him handing over the money immediately and stuffing the book in his bag.

Colin chooses that moment to run up to him, a stack of comics in one hand and a few books in a plastic bag. ‘Okay, I’ve bought all I can while still being able to pay for lunch,” he says. “You want to go?”

Ryan nods. “Sure,” he says.

They eat lunch in a small cafe a few streets away from the stores that’s blissfully warm against the winter cold. Colin’s a lot quieter than usual, Ryan notices, and he’s blurting the words out before he’s properly thought them over.

“You’re quiet,” he says.

Colin makes a soft noise that’s not quite a chuckle. “I get like that. I’m actually pretty quiet when I’m not in a library.” He glances up at Ryan. “No, the irony hasn’t escaped me.”

Ryan smiles in what he hopes is an understanding way. “You were pretty enthusiastic about those comics earlier.”

Colin points at him using the sandwich. “Hey, those are comics. I make an exception for those.”

“Imagine if you had a library full of comics, then.”

Colin lets out a proper laugh this time and Ryan feels a little twinge of what he tells himself is pride. “God, I’d be loud enough to send Greg running for some earplugs.”

They carry on like that, making jokes that Ryan’s sure only the two of them find funny, but finds he doesn’t mind. Just Colin laughing’s enough.

They get off the bus together, and Colin asks if they can meet up again sometime. Ryan can’t think of any other answer but yes.

The next week is their last week before Christmas, and so Ryan decides to give the book as a present, along with a letter.

He’s more scared that he thinks he can justify being.

The book’s easy - he gets some nice wrapping paper from his mom, no questions asked - but the note’s harder. The note includes thought.

Three drafts in, Ryan thinks that there may be a reason he failed English.

By the sixth draft, he just says ‘fuck it’ and puts it in the envelope anyway.

_Colin_ , it reads.

_I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to write this but I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself if I didn’t._

_These last few months with you have been great. Like, really, really great. I expected to suffer through this year, but thanks to you, I’m passing my classes. I’m getting better at work everyday, and I don’t hate everything I’m doing._

_Most of what I want to say shouldn’t be said in a letter, but I think I can at least put it like this - I’d like to meet up again, and ideally, it wouldn’t be just as friends._

_You’re clever(er than me) so you’ll figure out what I mean._

_And, if you hate everything about that idea, I get it. I just hope you can forget I ever said this, and that you like your book._

_Merry Christmas,_

_Ryan_

It’s Friday, and it’s the last day Ryan’s working that year. He’s got the present in his bag, and he dutifully does his final bit of study and work.

The last person leaves the building apart from him and Colin. Ryan’s on the top floor when he decides to leave the book on the windowsill there.

He goes back downstairs.

“Hey,” Colin says, checking his watch. “You can go if you want. I just need to lock up.”

“Alright,” says Ryan.

Colin goes to walk away, but Ryan stops him. “Uh, Col?”

Colin turns. “Hm?”

“I, uh, got you a present, but I think I left it on the windowsill upstairs.”

“Oh, thank you,” says Colin. “I’ll just go get it now.” He walks up the stairs, slower than he’d be if the place was still busy.

Ryan stuffs what little else he brought into his bag and walks towards the door. “Merry Christmas!” he calls up the stairs.

Colin doesn’t answer. Ryan hopes that’s not because of the letter, but that doesn’t stop the thought of it making him sad.

He walks out of the sliding doors, into the cold, and let’s out a deep sigh. His breath condenses in the air.

He’s just about to leave when he hears footsteps behind him.

He turns around, but not quickly enough, because before he knows it, Colin’s arms are around him, and he’s in a hug that feels impossibly warm against the winter.

He returns the hug, and Colin grins up at him, and then kisses him.

It’s amazing. All of it.

Colin breaks it off, panting a little. “Yes,” he says.

Ryan’s confused, and he’s not sure if it’s from the kiss or from the seemingly random word. “What?”

Colin laughs and runs a hand through the back of Ryan’s hair. “Yes, I’ll go on a date with you, you wonderful-” he kisses Ryan again, and that seems to finish the sentence. He smiles again. “Did you really buy me a first-edition book because you were scared of asking me out?”

“I thought you liked the book as well,” points out Ryan.

Colin laughs breathlessly and takes his hand. “Come on. Let’s go somewhere.”

Ryan smiles. “Any idea where?”

Colin shrugs. “We’ll figure something out. We always do.”

It starts to snow, and they walk through the cold hand in hand, until they fade into the snow, just the two of them.  

A year and a half into this new job, at three o’clock in the afternoon, Ryan looks up and realises he could look at books for the rest of his life.

Colin comes over and hands him a cup of coffee. Ryan gives him a kiss and he can see Colin blush as he walks away.

That’s probably why, he thinks.

 


End file.
